Directory
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
Law School Pro Bono Programs
Contact Information
Rachel Lawrence
Associate Director, Pro Bono & Public Interest Career Development
[email protected]
(202) 319-6239
Category Type
Formal Voluntary Pro Bono Program Characterized by a Referral System with a Coordinator
Description of Programs
Lawyers have a professional and ethical responsibility to use their legal skills to advance the public interest and increase access to justice. This duty begins in law school. Moreover, because Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law has a unique mission of service, all Catholic Law students are strongly encouraged to participate in the Pro Bono Program. The mission of Catholic Law’s Pro Bono Program is to help students develop the public service ethos they will need as a future lawyer by facilitating pro bono opportunities and celebrating the pro bono contributions of the Catholic Law community. Students who serve 50, 100, and 150-plus hours of pro bono will receive Pro Bono Honors recognition upon graduation. Two graduates (day and evening division) each year will also receive the Michael F. Curtin Pro Bono Award for honoring the highest ideals of the Columbus School of Law by voluntary pro bono service to others. In general, to qualify as pro bono as part of Catholic Law’s Pro Bono Program, the student’s work must be: Public interest/Public service; Law-related; Supervised by an attorney; and Not for compensation or academic credit. Students should prioritize providing pro bono legal services to people who otherwise would not be able to access or afford legal assistance and to organizations working to improve access to justice.
Location of Programs
The program is housed in the Office of Career and Professional Development but is also closely aligned with the law school's Office of Law and Social Justice Initiatives.
Staffing/Management/Oversight
The pro bono program director is also responsible for public interest career development.
Funding
The Pro Bono Program at CUA Law is funded out of the Office of Career and Professional Development budget.
Faculty and Administrative Pro Bono
There is no formal faculty pro bono policy.
Awards/Recognition
All students who have participated in pro bono are recognized at an annual spring Pro Bono Reception. Additionally, students who complete the Pro Bono Challenge at the following levels are recognized at graduation with a certificate from the dean and a notation in the graduation bulletin:
- 50 hours (Pro Bono Service Honors)
- 100 hours (Pro Bono Service High Honors)
- 150+ hours (Pro Bono Service Highest Honors)
The graduating students who have "honored the highest ideals of CUA Law by voluntary pro bono service to others" receive the Michael F. Curtin Pro Bono Award at graduation from both the day and evening divisions.
Alternative Winter or Spring Break Projects
Catholic Law students may participate in an annual Spring Break Immigration Service Trip under the supervision of the law school’s Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Clinic. Students provide legal services assistance to the South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project (ProBAR). ProBAR, a project of the American Bar Association, serves immigrants in the Rio Grande Valley, with a particular focus on the legal needs of adults and unaccompanied children in immigration detention. Students assist with intakes, draft declarations and applications for pro se detainees to present in court, work on release requests, observe court hearings, and more. They also have the opportunity to tour the border and volunteer in migrant shelters. Students may also participate in an annual DC Alternative Spring Break, in partnership with other area law schools. The DC Alternative Spring Break program provides law students with opportunities to engage in hands-on, law-related volunteer work with area organizations during their spring break. During this program, students serve, gain legal experience, network, and build their pro bono practice. In past years Alternative Spring Break partners have included: Amica Center for Immigrant Rights (formerly CAIR Coalition); Christian Legal Aid of DC; DC Bar Pro Bono Center Small Business Clinic; DC Superior Court Probate Self-Help Center; Hogar Immigrant Services; Legal Services of Northern Virginia; Neighborhood Legal Services Program; Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia; Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press; Veterans Consortium; and Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless.
Law School Public Interest Programs
Contact Information
Rachel Lawrence
Associate Director, Pro Bono & Public Interest Career Development
[email protected]
(202) 319-6239
Certificate/Curriculum Programs
None.
Public Interest Centers
None.
PI Career Support Center
The Columbus School of Law's Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD) is dedicated to assisting students in search of internship and externship opportunities during school, employment after graduation, and career advice for the rest of their lives. Staffed by career planning professionals with advanced degrees in law, the office provides individual and group counseling, workshops, panels, instructional materials, and job listings as well as activities that facilitate direct contact with prospective employers. The career office hosts two public sector recruiting programs: OCI for public sector and non-profit employers is held in late summer, and the Public Sector Recruiting Fair (PSRF) is hosted annually each spring by Catholic University and other area law schools in the DMV. PSRF focuses on the public interest sector including nonprofits, prosecutors and public defender offices, and government agencies. It is the largest public sector recruiting fair in the spring. In past years the fair has brought nearly 100 employers and 300+ students together through virtual interviews, virtual table talk sessions, and resume collections. Employers from the DMV and around the country participate.
Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAP)
The law school provides loan forgiveness programs annually to students and further in partnership with AccessLex. In partnership with the law school, AccessLex offers virtual 1:1 Financial Coaching Sessions with a certified financial planner. It is an opportunity for students to receive personalized financial advice or tips. In partnership with the law school, AccessLex also offers helpful financial webinars, including "Health and Wealth" and the "Psychology of Financial Decision Making." The law school also provides information regarding LRAP on the law school’s webpage. The law school also promotes external programs with the NALP Public Service Section and Equal Justice Works.
Fellowships
Charles and Louise O'Brien Fellowships: The O’Brien Fellowship was created to offer students financial assistance in a public interest unpaid summer position in order to help students interrelate their religious perspective with the practice of law. Applicants may be a member of any organized religious faith. Summer placements have been with, among others, refugee services, immigration organizations, legal aid organizations, children advocacy groups, and efforts to promote peace or to end human trafficking. Currently, five fellowships are awarded annually with an award amount of $6,000.
Students for Public Interest Law (SPIL) Stipends: Catholic Law’s internal stipend program provides summer funding for students who will be interning at a public interest or public service organization (such as a non-profit organization, academic institution, or government agency). This stipend supports students pursuing public interest or public service careers by funding practical legal experiences and expanding the capacity of local organizations to provide high-quality legal services to underrepresented individuals, groups, and causes. The SPIL Stipend is funded through the generosity of Catholic law alumni, faculty, and staff. Students for Public Interest Law (SPIL) was founded in 1989 to further the law school's commitment to providing public interest legal services. SPIL sponsors numerous community service and pro bono activities to provide students with public service interest law experience. Currently, three fellowships are awarded annually with an award amount of $5,000.
12/3/2024